License-plate lamp



1,665,276 B. B. PFEIFER LICENSE PLATE LAMP Fil'edJ .26. 1927 2 SheetsfSheet l `)17` .Z

Juf,

April 10, 1928..

Paten@ Aer. 1o, 192s. "I,

UNITED .STATES BRYAN B. HEUER, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. s

Application led January 26, 1927. Serial No. 1-6Q,6"45.

vMy invention relates to a license plate lamp, and 'more particularly to a license plate lamp adapted for use on automobiles.

The object of my invention is to provide a license plate lamp of the above indicated character, having the figures and letters stencilled in the license plate' and having a reector behind said stencil plate and a source'of lilght adapted to illuminate the'vgures on the pate.

Another object of myfinvention is to provide a lamp of the above indicated character, having an opalesce'nt platet'of glass; or other suitable translucent material, mounted in the rear of a stencilled license plate to show-up the figures of the plate in white during the daytime and inA white light during the night time. l l

Another object oi my invention is to provide a license plate lamp, having source of light mounted in the same, and t the focus of an elongated paraboloid and adapted to supplement or substitute the source of light for a tail lamp, and having'in combinationtherewith a'source of light-for the tail lamp adapted to supplement .or substitute the source of light for the license plate lamp.l

It is very desirable that automobile license plates should beplainlyvisible at night as well as in the daytime, and there have been no satisfactory means provided heretofore, whereby ,this could beaccomplished eco- V .nomicallvia'nd eiiiciently. By/the'use of my was,

-taken on the line 4.-4 of Figure 1.

license plate lamp the numerals maybeseen a great distance without blurring, and it is adaptable to the front as well as the rear of the car. v I f My .invention willl be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, agri in plate lamp incorporatingmy inven-4 tion.

t Figure 2 is-a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front view of the lamp with the license plate removed, showing the linner side'of the reflector and a portion of the lass lnormally mounted behind the license p ate.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view .6 but having the license plate removed and a part ofthe glass broken away inner side of the reflector.

Figure 9 is 'across-sectional view taken on approximately the line 9-9 of-Figurc 7.

In the drawings oand forth'e purpose of illustration I have shown and preferred embodiment of my invention,"and in which nu-` vr'neral'lO designates a license plate, having the figures and -letters 11. stencilled therein -insteadof raised and painted in the conventional manner. The plate 10 is mounted by bolts12 and 13 in contact with the ilange 14- of the reector member 15. `The'bolts 12 pass through slots 16 in the mounting brackets 17 for adjust-ably .secur the 'mounting brackets. 'mounting -brackets '17 are provided with holes 18 through which` bolts or .other lsuitable means may ass to secure'the brackets to the auto'- mo ieorcar.

In fthe rear of the license late 10 is lSuitlably mounted a plate of opa escent glass or other suitable translucent material 19, and

secured in place by lugs 2O punchedout of 1n the lamp to Tle the reflector ange 14, and similar lugs 21" punched out of the reflector proper, and

providing Ventilating holes 22 for th@ lam in case other than the electric .type is use The opalescent 'glass as mounted provides white letters andiigures forthelicense plate visible a great distance in the daytime and provides white illuminated figures and letters atnight. y

The reflector 15 is inthe form of an clon- .gated `pamlmloid having a suitable'source of light 23 mounted approximately at. tha

focus of the paraboloid as'shown, v:for feli-- ciently direct-ing rays of lightftl'rou lli the opalescentfglass and maln'ng visible t eiig-f j vures and letters on the license plate.

modified form of my. license plate lamp,

especiallygadapted to-be used on the rear endof the car, in'that, in addition to the features yalready described, I have provided a tail lamp portion combinedwith my license plate' lamp. The tail lamp portion of my invention consists of a plate 29 mounted on one end of the reflector 15, and provided with a red lens 30 held in place by flange 31 and the expanding split rim member 32,

which in turn is held in place by lug memvbers 33 integral with the plate 29. Plate plate.

29 is secured by a flange member 40 adapted to be inserted under the end of plate 10,

and bolt 34 extending through the same and through the flange 14 of the reflector.

A source of light -35 is provided fory the 'tail lamp end of my invention-but it is obvious that ,in case it should be broken or otherwise rendered inoperative, the reflector Wil-l -'direct rays of light through the red lens from the bulbs 23 which are primarily intended for the license plate. It is also apparent that should the light bulbs 23 be inoperative the bulb 35 is so situated as to cause the light `to .be reflected fromy it through the openings 11 in the license The several sources of light in the lamp are, therefore, adapted to substitute or supplementV eachl other as may be required. t 4

The bulb 35 is mounted in a socket .36 and secured in place by insulating bushing 37 in the usual manner. Wires 38gcovered with insulation 39, lead from the bulb 35 to any suitable source of power.

The bulb 35 is easily accessible as the plate 29 may bc Vremoved by taking out the bolt 34 and withdrawingl the flange 40 from under the end of the license plate.

' Slots 41 in license plate 10 and slots 4 in the flange 14 are provided for the adjustment of the license plate on mounting the same in position, and after itis secured in the desired position by bolts 12, holes may punched through the plate in places to register with holes 43 in the flange 14 through which the bolts 13 are passed and tle plate 10 is thereby secured to the flange 1 While I have described the preferred form of my invention it will be apparent that -many modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the inqpended claims.

vention, and I desire, therefore, not' to be limited -to the lprecise details as described but to avail myself of such variations and modificatins as come Within the scope of the ap- 70 I claim as my invention: j 1. The combination'of ak license plate lamp,- the inside thereof forming an elongated parabolic -aeflector a stenciled license plate mounted thereon; a sheet of opalescent glass mounted behind said stenciled plate; a source of light mounted in said lamp'at the focus of said reflector for reflecting light through said glass and the openings in said plate; a flange onA said lamp having a portion thereof punched out and bentback to holdA backwardly 'on saidr` glass; portions punched out of said reflector and bent down to hold forwardly A'on said glass; means for securing said license plate to said flange; a .85

lens plate mounted at one end of said reflector andvhaving a lens therein; a source of light mounted behind said lens; means for securing one end of ysaid lens plate to Fsaid flange; meanson the other end of said .90

lens plate engaging under said license plate for securing'said lens plate in position. y

2. The combination of a license plate lamp havin a flange thereon; the inside of said lamp forming an elongated parabolic reflector with an elongated focus; a stenciled license plate mounted on said flange; a lens plate mounted on said: flange at one end of said license plate andhaving alens mounted therein; a sheet of opalescent glass mounted behind', saidl stenciled plate; an elongated source of li ht mounted iny said elongatedfocus for e ecting an equal/ distribution of li ht'through the openings in said'stenciled p ate andv through said lens; a portion of said flange being punchedv outv and bent back to hold backwardly on said glass; a portion punched out of said reflector and bent down to hold forwardly on said glass; means for securing said license plate to said flange; .no means for securing Yone end of said lens plate to said flange; means on the other endV of said lens plate engaging under` said license plate for securing saidlens plate in position.

. 3. The combination ofy a license plate i lamp having a flange thereon; theinside of' said .lamp forming an elongated parabolic reflector with an elongated focus; a stenciled license plate mounted on said flange; a lens 120 plate mounted on said flange at one end of sa1d license plate and having a lens mounted therein; a sheet of opalescent glass mounted behind said stenciled platepan velongated source of 1i ht mounted in said elongated 125 focus for e ecting an'equal distribution of light through the openings `in said stenciled plate and through said lens; a portion of said flange being punched out and bent back to hold backwardly on said glass; a portion no license plate lfor securing said Y position; a. source of hght positioned'bef meagre punchedout oflsaid )reflector and hentldown l to hold forwardly on said glass; means for securing said license plate to said flangej means or securing one end of said lens plate to said ilange; means yon 'the other end of said lens plate engagin under said ens plate in ens and effecting a substantially equal dis-v trihutionl of light through the openings in I said stenciled plate. y i s In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification.

BRYAN B. PFEIFER. 

